NEW DELHI: As the month-long Pakistan presidency of the UN Security Council (UNSC) nears its business end, Islamabad is gearing up to organize an open debate on unresolved disputes around the world, looking to follow it up with a resolution urging member-states to use mechanisms available to them for pacific settlement of disputes.
While the motive behind convening this signature event under the UN’s maintenance of international peace and security agenda is to highlight the Kashmir issue, it’s unlikely Pakistan will name J&K for fear of getting the resolution vetoed. UNSC resolutions need 9 votes to pass, including the concurrence of all 5 permanent members.
Pakistan deputy PM and foreign minister Ishaq Dar will travel to New York to chair the event on July 22 that will likely be briefed by Secretary General Antonio Guterres too.
According to the Security Council Report, Pakistan aims to adopt the resolution urging full use of all Chapter VI mechanisms for peaceful resolution of disputes between nations. Article 33 of the Chapter states that the parties to any dispute, the continuance of which is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security, shall seek a solution by, among other things, mediation and arbitration.
However, the same Article also says the parties can seek a solution through “other peaceful means of their own choice”. This is important for India as it helps underscore its position that this is exactly what it is trying to do through Simla and Lahore Declarations that stress bilateralism.
“The generic resolution which will most likely be conceptual in nature will focus on general principles not specific issues to avoid any objections,” says Syed Akbaruddin, former Indian ambassador to the UN. Pakistan also knows that except China, all other permanent members continue to maintain that Kashmir is a bilateral issue.
While underlining the Council’s role in maintaining peace and security, many member-states stress that any such attempt can’t undermine a State’s sovereignty or invoke settlement agreements without the consent of both parties. The open debate follows closed consultations called by Pakistan on May 5 to discuss India-Pakistan tensions after the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
Pakistan will also convene another signature event under its presidency, hoping to strengthen cooperation between the UN and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the 57-member body that has repeatedly expressed support for Islamabad’s Kashmir agenda.
The meeting will take place under the UN’s ‘Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations’ agenda item. Along with Pakistan, there are 4 other non-permanent member-states that are also in the OIC – Algeria, Somalia, Sierra Leone and Guyana. It will be difficult though to gloss over differences between the Council and OIC on key issues like Israel’s actions in Gaza and the OIC condemnation of the US strikes on Iran. India has repeatedly accused the OIC of allowing its agenda to be hijacked by Pakistan, while ignoring Islamabad’s support to cross-border terrorism, and any mention of the Kashmir issue at the meeting is likely to be met with a similar response from India.
Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with
Friendship Day wishes,
messages and
quotes !